Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-09-29
sILENCED HER BATTERY.

SILENCED HER BATTERY.
The Hunter next struck, and Lac two
smaller vessels in attempting to escape,
were overhauled by the Scorpion, Mr..
Champlin, and Trip, Mr.. Holdun, and
thus ended the action, after O'Clock.
ssLet US now avert for a moment to the
scenes exhibited in the flagship Lawrence,
of which I can speak as an eyewitness.
The wounded began to come down before
she opened her battery, and for one felt
impatient at the delay. In proper time,
however, as it proved, the dogs of war
were let loose from their leach, and it
seemed as though heaven and earth were
at loggerheads. For more than two hours
little could be heard but the deafeniEg
broadsides, the crash of balls dashing
through our timbers, and the shrieks of
the wounded. These were brought down
fas ser than I could attend to them, fur.
Their than to stay the bleeding, Or support
a shattered limb with splints, and pass
them forward upon the berth-deck.
"When the battle had ragged an hour and
a half, heard a call for me at the small
skylight, and, stepping toward it I saw
the commodore whose countenance was
as calm and as placid as if on ordinary
duty. Doctor said he's send me one
of your men," meaning one of the six
stationed with me to assist in moving
the wounded. In five minutes the call
was repeated and obeyed, and al the sew
enth Call told him he had all my men.
He asked if there were any sick Or wound
ed who could pull rope, when two or
three crawled upon the deck to lend a
feeble hand in pulling the last guns.
"Che hard fighting terminated about 3
o'clock. AS the smoke cleared away the
two fleets were found mingled together,
the small vessels having come up to the
others. The shattered Lawrence, lying
to the windward, was once more able to
hoist her flag, which was cheered by a
few feeble voices on board, making
melancholy sound compared with the bois
ferrous cheers that had come from the
Lawrence preceding the battle.
t'THE PROUD, THOUGH PAINFUL, DUTY
of taking possession of the conquered
ships was now performed. The Detroit
was nearly dismantled, and the destruc
ton and carnage had been dreadful. The
Queen was in condition little better;
every commander, and second in com
mand, says Barclay in his official report,
was either killed or wounded. The whole
number killed in the British fleet was
forty -one, and Of wounded ninety one.
In the American feet, twenty-seven killed
and ninety-six wounded. Of the twenty
seven killed two we're on board the
Lawrence, and of the ninety-six wounded
sixty-One were on board the same ship,
making sixty three killed and wounded
out of one hundred and one reported fit
duty in the Lawrence on the morning of
the battle. On board the Niagara were
two killed and twenty-three wounded,
making twenty twenty five, and of these
twenty-five were killed or wounded after
Perry took command of her.
"And now the British officers arrived,
one from each vessel, to tender their sub
mission, and with their swords. When
they approached, picking their way
among the wreck and carnage of the
deck, with their hits toward Perry, they
rendered them to his acceptance. With a
dignified and solemn air, and with low
tone of voice, he requested them to re-
tain their side arms, inquired with deep
concern for Commodore Barclay and the
wounded officers, rendering to them every
comfort his ship afforded, and expressing
his regret that he had not spare medi-
cal officer to send them, that he only bad
one on duty for the feet, and
THAT ONE HAD HIS HANDS FULL.
"Among the ninety-six wounded there
were three deaths; result so favorable
was attributable to the plentiful supply
of fresh provisions sent off to us from
the Ohio shore; to fresh air-the wound
ed being ranged under an awning on the
deck until we arrived at Erie, ten days
after the action, and also to the devoted
attention of Commodore Perry to every
want.
''Those who were killed in the battle
were that evening committed to the deep,
and over them was read the impressive
Episcopal service. On the following
morning the two fleets sailed into this
bay, where the slain officers of both were
buried in an appropriate and affecting
manner. They consisted of three Amer
leans, Lieut.. Brooks and Midshipmen
Laub and Clarke, and three British Off
GERS, Capt. Finnis and Lieut.. Stokes of
the Queen. and Lieut.. Garland of the
Detroit. Equal respect was paid to the
slain of the both nations, and the crews
of both fleets united in the ceremony.
The procession of boats, with two bands
of music, the slow and regular motion of
the oars striking in exact time with two
bands of music, the slow and regular
motion OF the oars striking in exact time
with the notes of the solemn dirge, the
mournful waving of flags AMI sound of
minute guns from the shi ps, presented a
striking contrast to the scene presented
two days before, when both the living
and the dead, now forming in this solemn
and fraternal train, were engaged in fierce
and bloody strife, hurting at each other
the thund rbolts of war.
COMMODORE PERRY
served two years as the commander Of the
Java, taking with him most of the sur
vlvors of the Lawrence. He after this
commanded squadron in the West In
dias, where he died in 1919.
Possessed of hish-toned morals, he
was above the low dissipation and sensu-
ality too prevalent with some officers of
his day, and in his domestic character
was model of every domestic virtue and
grace. His literary requirements were
respectable and his tastes refined. He
united the graces of a manly beauty to an
iron heart, a sound mind, a safe judg-
ment, and frmness of purpose which
nothing could shake"